Youth Volunteers: The West Somerset Railway can
accept volunteers who are under the age of 18, these volunteers are referred to
as the West Somerset Railway Trackers. The tracker scheme encourages boys and
girls to take an active part in the operation of the railway by allowing them
to work alongside adult volunteers. By doing this the trackers will hopefully
gain valuable life skills which they can use in the future and include on their
CV. This is done in a safe environment and in a structured and controlled way.
Places for under 18’s are limited and are extremely popular. For more
information please contact Geoff Lowe and Catherine Hurd on email wsrtracker@yahoo.co.uk

Volunteering on the Railway

Lots of different skills are
required. As a prospective new volunteer you could experience
supervised work training in any of the following disciplines. Please
click on the discipline you are interested in to see further information
and at the bottom of this page current specific vacancies are listed:

Please click on the discipline that you are interested in to see more information.

There are around 400-500 active
volunteers whose contribution help makes the West Somerset Railway
'tick'. Indeed, without their considerable input the West Somerset
Railway would probably cease to tick! Volunteers are able to assist
(subject to undertaking a training programme and passing a medical in
some cases) in all aspects of the WSR, and their contribution is
absolutely vital towards ensuring the success and future growth of the
Railway. On any given day, the footplate crew, guard, ticket inspector,
booking clerk, stationmaster, track worker, buffet car steward - and
many, many more are likely to be volunteers.

To apply to become a volunteer complete the paperwork and post it to the Bishops Lydeard address.

All
new volunteers are required to attend a 1.5 hour induction session
before volunteering on the railway. Click on the tab below to access the
information sheet/booking form. This should be returned with the other
forms.

We
are looking for volunteers to help control our growing rabbit population across
the length of the line. Applicants must hold a firearms license, either
restricted or unrestricted and be available to take part in a ˝ day personal
track safety course. For more information please contact Andrew Young
07872839109 or email andrew.young@wsrail.net

Blue Anchor Stationmaster Vacancy

The
West Somerset Railway is seeking applications for the volunteer post
of Blue Anchor Station Master. As one of Britain’s leading Heritage
Railway’s the position will put the successful candidate at the
forefront of customer care.

The
Station Master is responsible for the functioning of the Station and
Ticket Office, ensuring the Station is clean and tidy and presents a
positive image of the railway to visitors and managing the station staff
working there. The post also includes liaison between other station
master and friends of groups.

Following the retirement of the current incumbent, Geoff Cross, there is now a vacancy for a Training Officer for the West Somerset Railway.

This volunteer position will suit a person who is self-motivating, and able to communicate easily with all departments on training issues. He or she will ideally be familiar with the Railway, and how the system works. A training background will be an advantage. He or she will be responsible for the organisation of training requested by Departments and the Management Team, either by in-house training staff, or by sourcing and negotiating with outside training bodies. Under current arrangements the Training Officer reports directly to the General Manager.

The Training Officer will be expected to work to a budget (currently £20K for 2015) which will be used to cover the costs of training, hire of venues, catering, printing, and teaching aids, all of which will be his or her responsibility.

The Training Officer chairs the Training Advisory Committee, and is expected to produce monthly reports to the Board and the Heads of Department. He or she will also be expected to attend Heads of Department meetings. The Training Officer will also be required to undertake special tasks/projects from time to time as requested by the Board of Directors.

The Training Officer will need to be computer literate, and maintain records. Training office equipment includes a video projector, speakers, screen, stand, and lap-top, which will be made available to all departments for departmental training needs. The PTS Instructor `stands alone`, but works closely with the Training Officer.

This position requires the successful candidate to be available around the Railway for probably a couple of days per week, and can expect to be contacted out of working hours from time to time. The Training Officer is not normally expected to attend all training sessions he or she has organised.

The retiring Training Officer will be available to advise the new incumbent for a short period of time.